After close to a decade since his last outing, Matt Damon returns to the role which cemented him as a Hollywood leading man in ‘Jason Bourne’.
There’s always someone watching you. It’s become more apparent in this post-Snowden world we’re under constant surveillance by the government. Where once the internet was developed to freely share information across the globe, the privacy of said information has become much more valued. The rise of social media has led to people sharing too much information, contradicting their need for privacy. Users forget that once something is on the internet, it’s there forever; becoming easily up-for-grabs by criminals and governments alike. It’s impossible for anyone to disappear from the web completely, even the titular character in ‘Jason Bourne’.
It’s been nine years since Bourne last appeared on our screens (discounting the Jeremy-Renner-led spin-off ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’). After finally uncovering his memory and real identity, Bourne (Matt Damon) is hiding in Greece, making a living through bare-knuckle boxing. Bourne is pulled back into the world after ally Nicky (Julia Stiles) hacks into the CIA mainframe and uncovers files that suggest Bourne’s story goes deeper. Now, the CIA Director Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) has new agent Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander) after the files, a reckless assassin (Vincent Cassel) trying to eliminate Bourne, and implementing covert surveillance measures on a new social media platform developed by Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed). Bourne must avoid capture, all while trying to uncover more secrets about his past and family.
It’s remarkable how a character who has disappeared for so long can be brought back into the world without feeling outdated; a problem not even the ‘James Bond’ franchise can avoid. Cyber security is only a recent threat, but the topic doesn’t feel like it’s being exploited for the sake of making bank. If anything, it makes the story more terrifying knowing this heavy amount of surveillance on citizens is a reality, thanks to the leaking of information by Edward Snowden.
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Along with Damon, Paul Greengrass has returned to the director’s chair. His shaking hand-held camera which has become a staple in the series is back too, turning many of the action scenes into blurs of dull colours. While the style can be disorientating, especially during fights, it also fits in eerily well thanks to it seeming similar to surveillance and social media footage – time may have finally caught up to the shaky-cam.
The characters who dominate this film appear to be a bit too stiff throughout. It may be the amount of tension in the film which is keeping them rigid, but it makes them appear to all be blank slates instead of real characters who change just as much as their allegiances do. Damon’s Bourne lacks personality instead of a memory, Cassel is all menace and an unnecessary backstory, and Jones is more grumpy than threatening. One exception is Alicia Vikander’s Heather, who proves herself perceptive of the confusion going on around her. Her youth masks a conniving brain formulating plans to keep herself on top, whether it be by tracking or assisting Bourne.
‘Jason Bourne’ still retains the thrills which the series has become known for. The action sequences are fewer than before, which is a shame as the choreography in them was exceptional; using anything within the character’s reach as a weapon, from chairs to doors. But, when they happen, they’re big and send the audiences’ adrenalin racing, especially the entire finale set in Las Vegas.
‘Jason Bourne’ is an explosive warm-up for a series once thought to be retired, and will surely be even better when it builds its stamina up again.
★★★☆☆ 1/2.
'Jason Bourne' is in cinemas now.
